how to orient a map using a lensatic compass

Remember how we spoke about declination in Part 1? To use your lensatic compass to find the direction of your intended azimuth (which you probably got from your map, using your protractor): 1. The North-seeking arrow of the compass must fall within 3 degrees (50 mils) of the angle shown in the grid-magnetic (G-M) angle on the map's declination diagram. Articles - Email - Linkedin - Facebook - Instagram. Line your orienteering compasss base plate up with the maps north-south lines. Designate your starting and ending points on the map. It is easy to learn and it can be done with just a map and compass. Magnetic North is 15 East. True north is represented by a star. Corrected the orientations of the map when the G-M angle exceeded 3 degrees (50 mils) using one of the following: a. Hand placement: Insert your thumb through the thumb loop and the index finger along the compass. Announcement: My online Land Navigation course includes four hours of video instruction, and two downloadable PDF books, all for about the same price as a typical paperback book. 5. Before we do that, lets take a closer look at declination. At least, I never saw him with one. Also known as setting the map, orientating helps to relate your position and the landscape around you to the map, therefore making onward navigation more straightforward. Most compasses are marked with the four cardinal. Step 4: Walk along the path and make sure your compass always points North. 1. Step 1. Plot a line on the map using the mountains rear bearing. Turn the compass dial so that the bearing intersects the index line (2). Place your map in such a way that the terrain features line up with your maps features. Its a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, youre solid. When orienting a map, our aim is to position it so that the north-south grid lines on the map (eastings) are aligned north-south. And thats it! Method #2. The bezel clicks as it moves--three degrees for every click. 3. When it comes to how to orientate a map, there are two main ways to do it. ), Podcast #858: The Affectionate, Ambiguous, and Surprisingly Ambivalent Relationship Between Siblings, How to Fight Entitlement and Develop Gratitude in Your Kids, How and Why to Hold a Weekly Marriage Meeting, You Dont Have to Be Your Dad: How to Become Your Familys Transitional Character, Podcast #810: How to Turn a Boy Into a Man, Sunday Firesides: Climb the Ladder of Love, Podcast #865: How to Win Friends and Influence People in the 21st Century, Podcast #863: Key Insights From the Longest Study on Happiness, Podcast #875: Authority Is More Important Than Social Skills, Podcast #874: Throw a 2-Hour Cocktail Party That Can Change Your Life, 9 Mental Distortions That Are Sabotaging Your Social Life, How to Make the Perfect Snowball: An Illustrated Guide, Podcast #869: The Survival Myths That Can Get You Killed, Skill of the Week: Survive Falling Through Ice, Podcast #848: The 5 Priorities of Short-Term Survival, we covered how to properly use a compass, how to shootyour bearings, and the best map for navigating: the topo map, Land Navigation Manual: How to Use the Military Grid Reference System, Land Navigation Manual: Finding Your Bearings & Topo Maps, More Than Just Finding North: Understanding the Compass, Podcast #534: How Navigation Makes Us Human. If we didnt adjust for declination and were getting bearings for our destination from our map, well find ourselves off by 14 or more when we start walking. You want to go cross country directly to Devil's Wash Basin, a deep and beautiful lake you've heard a lot about. Now repeat step 3 above and youre good to go. We guide you on how to orientate a map with or without your compass so that you can navigate your way through the backcountry. Flip your compass upside down. Take a compass bearing on the peak to your southwest. I guess the military needs the extra accuracy now and then say, for example, to precisely place artillery fire. Fill in the empty areas; concerned parties names, places of residence and phone numbers etc. 3. You can always orient your map with a working compass. Not a problem. Lay the map out flat in front of you. What if youre not on a trail, but you just know the general area youre in? See that little black outline of an arrow? The My Open Country name is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. When you have a line location, you know youre on a maps recognizable line (trail, ridge line, etc. What's that? Its not unheard of for hikers to accidentally read their map upside down and end up facing south, rather than north. Housing lines should be parallel to the vertical grid lines on the map. 1. The legend. Spread out your map. Pencarian Terakhir Elcenter Course Zindagi Ban Gy Ho Tum Advnture is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Adjustable Declination Compasses. 3. $7.20. Look at which way the red needle is pointing. Orient you compass with the bearing, and draw the bearing line. Gently pull the lid down until the sighting line is visible through the lens. If we dont account for declination and use our map to acquire directions to our destination, well be wrong by 14 or more when we start walking. Here at Brunton, we manufacture a variety of different compasses for varying needs in the field. Its not an issue. A compass needle aligns with the magnetic fields in the Earth, which is what it uses to help you find true north. Put your compass on your map. That has the potential to make a significant impact! To do so accurately, however, we must first adjust our compass for magnetic declination so the reading taken from the compass arrow . You can see that the mountain is 24 degrees away from you. You discover that it has a bearing of 176. To use the terrain to orient a map, you must be familiar with symbols used on the map. As a result, your real bearing is 166. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. The lensatic compass is used by the U.S. Military. How Should I Set My GPS and Compass? Map and compass skills are essential when navigating the great outdoors, Abrupt topography, like mountain peaks, should be easy to identify thanks to their contours on the map, Magnetic declination guidance on a standard topographical map, Having adjusted the compass housing to correspond with magnetic north, line your compass up with the map's gridlines, Red is in the shed: the compass needle is lined up with the orientating arrow, Ski towns are full: why we cant all just move to the mountains, Berghaus MTN Guide MW Hoody review: a performance mid-layer for the mountains, Rangers warn National Park graffiti could throw hikers off the trail. They both use magnetization to help you find where you are and where youre going, but theres a catch. Your cheek should be resting on the base of your thumb. When youre on this line and are facing true north, magnetic north lines up perfectly, too. 4. As mentioned in Part I, true north and magnetic north arent the same. If you want to navigate and explore like a Navy SEAL, its high time you learn how to use one of these stellar compasses. Declination is the angle formed by true north and magnetic north. 1. First things first. Thats 130 degrees. All Rights Reserved. Step 1 Orient the map. Brett May 23, 2016 Last updated: June 2, 2021. Find two or three easily identifiable features or landmarks on your map and then try to identify them in the terrain, or vice-versa. Adjust the compass bezel so that north on the compass corresponds to north on the map. ","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A: In order to orient and read a map, you have to have spatial awareness. Orienting your map means aligning it so that north on the map corresponds to north in the terrain and the maps topography correlates to the real-world topography in front of you. Determining a Bearing, or "Shooting an Azimuth", Using Your Compass Sights to "Shoot an Azimuth". If not, recalibrate before continuing. This can be done either by (1) rotating the map the requisite number of degrees east or west or (2) holding the baseplate firmly, rotate the compass housing to the correct number of degrees west or east to account for the declination. Lets go back to our Muir Woods example. Check the declination of your local location on your map or on a website. Lets move to the opposite coast of the U.S. Lets say youre in the Adirondacks of New York. Your action from here depends on the value and direction of your declinationeast or west. There are 2 ways to do this - using landmarks or using a compass. There is nothing better than being at the heart of your navigation as a prepper, and truly knowing where youre headed without the need for technological input. Required fields are marked *. Look through the sighting slot and find some target (a tree, boulder, whatever) that lines up with your sighting wire. Weve compiled a detailed guide on how to adjust for magnetic declination, but at its most basic level it goes like this: Your map should state what the magnetic declination is in degrees for the region you are in. The variation between magnetic north and true north is currently so minor that this can generally be ignored. The housing is marked with cardinal points, typically north, south, east, and west, which . When the actual lens gets damaged, it unnecessarily impairs simple operation. He is currently working towards qualifying as a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and International Mountain Leader. OEC G&V. Download. 4. 3. Well, that is, unless you're doing something silly like holding the compass backwards. If youre in the Adirondacks, youll want to add 14 so your true bearing would be 194. Start with contour features, such as what the ground is doing in front of you and around you, what happens to the terrain in the middle distance and then whats going on in terms of distant mountain peaks, ridges, hills and escarpments. Heres our step-by-step guide to the most straightforward. He has climbed a handful of 6000ers in the Himalayas, 4000ers in the Alps, 14ers in the US, and loves nothing more than a good long-distance wander in the wilderness. Enroll in my personalized step-by-step video-based online course. For bearings of 181 to 359 degrees, rotate the bezel clockwise. 1. Magnetic north is now off the coast of Greenland, but true north is at the very top of the world. What if you dont have access to a compass that can compensate for declination? SEE IT. Rotate the compass dial until north on the compass ring lines up with north on the map. 3. Keep in mind that maps are drawn with north at the top. (1) Take the straightedge on the left side of the compass and place it alongside the north-south grid line with the cover of the compass pointing toward the top of the map. Uses a retractable lens to read the bearing while. Your email address will not be published. From the compass, to GPS, to now even your mobile devicetheres no shortage of navigational tools. Want a free ebook on Land Navigation? Now hold the compass on the map and rotate yourself and the map/compass together until the orienting arrow and the compass needle are aligned to magnetic north. Turn your map so that north on the map corresponds to the needles orientation. For sighting purposes, we recommend using the compass-to-cheek method for better accuracy. The method is to align the edge of the compass along the Magnetic North (MN) line, and then move the map and compass together until the compass needle points north.

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how to orient a map using a lensatic compass